According to Bernabé Manuel, member of the organization of the conference on "The Evolution of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Angola and the importance of the nine years of the MSME law", companies in the sector are in a critical situation.
"The indicators of these companies in period of the pandemic are devastating, we are already in a state of economic crisis since 2014 and this pandemic has only worsened the situation of small, medium and micro enterprises and not only", said this Friday statements to Lusa.
The conference on the evolution of MSMEs in Angola is scheduled for next Monday, September 14, and is organized by Capital Negócios, which operates in the field of projects, consulting and services for small businesses.
Bernabé Manuel reminded that micro, small and medium enterprises play a preponderant role in income generation, especially for Angolan families, and considered that covid-19 affected their actions.
"We know that we have the issue of health fences, which end up hindering mobility, affecting small and medium enterprises, as a result of the situation we live in today," he stressed.
"But we have to prepare ourselves for the post-covid-19 situation and for this relative openness," he stressed, arguing for greater incentive to strengthen the sector.
During the event a report on the situation of MSMEs in the current context of covid-19 will be presented and a proposal for the institutionalization of September 13 as National Day of the Entrepreneur and MSMEs.
Besides the "devastating situation" of enterprises, Bernabé Manuel continued, the report should present "specific data on the difficult situation of small enterprises in the interior of the country, as well as the Government's support to the national economy".
Regarding the Law on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, approved in 2011, he said that the meeting will analyze its implications for the market.
"What support they receive from the Government, what support they receive from banking institutions, this event has this objective," he said.
Despite the negative effects of covid-19, the businessman noted that in this period a platform of MSME was created, which brings together about 1000 entrepreneurs, which in that period generated a turnover of 600 million kwanzas.
"In a phase like this, even with some restrictions, we entrepreneurs have not stopped", he noted.
As for the economic relief measures, approved in April by the Angolan government, to contain the impact of covid-19 on families and companies in the productive sector, Bernabé Manuel considered that they "are not very clear for small businesses.
"That's why we will have the presence of state bodies and others, because we want a more targeted action, because the role of small and medium enterprises is very important, at a time when we are talking about the diversification of the economy and encouraging local production," he concluded.
Angola, which since May 26 is experiencing a public calamity, currently has 3217 positive cases of covid-19, with 1810 assets, 130 deaths and 1277 recovered.
Some restrictions have been relaxed in order to gradually resume economic activity, but Luanda remains under provincial health fence.
